Trance
by Bracken-Fae
Summary: YuRiku. Title says it all I guess! As I said before, I've completely given up on summaries. I decided to make it chaptered 'cause I need the suspense or just to break it up basically.
1. Chapter 1

With this fic, I'm gonna do some odd things methinx. It is set out like a play (the stage directions, in the and brackets par example) but it isn't. Also, it's set in Riku's mind, sort of a 'what if' kind of thing. (That's just in case I don't make that clear enough at the end.) If you think it's a bit vague, it's because I'm trying to let the reader sort of make their own decisions about things, you know interpret it for themselves. Or something.

It takes place during Kingdom Hearts, I'm going on the theory that Sora must have had somewhere to stay whilst trying to defeat Riku and Maleficent, 'cause it took me forever, so…

I think that's all the bits you need to know…

I do not own any of the characters or settings in this fanfiction.

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**Trance**

(A hall. Two teenagers are in there, one standing up, moving through the hall towards a small young woman sitting at one end. She imagines that the dimly lit and worn out hall is very old-fashioned, chandelier filled and full of beautiful, ball gown clad and dancing people, and feels very alone, but then sees Riku, who, in her imagination is wearing a smart tux, making him look even more deadly-handsome.

He arrives at her side, her eyes not leaving his face, bows and asks courteously if he could 'have this dance'. She smiles, still not looking anywhere but his face, and accepts.

The couple move, not speaking, to the middle of the dance floor, and begin to waltz the most graceful waltz that ever could be imagined, him twirling her delicate form occasionally and her holding him closer than ever on return to his arms, as though that pirouette had been a lifetime. He gazes down at her pretty face with a sort of loving authority, and she gazes back as if to say 'I am yours to command'.

The dance ends, he bows, she curtsies and she quits, leaving him in the middle of the dance floor, the spell having faded, letting him return to looking as if he belongs in the evil looking room. An evil boy for an evil room.)

"Yuffie, where have you been all day?" Asks a slightly worried Aerith.

"Dunno, really," Yuffie answers, truthfully, although still in a bit of a daydream state, adding to Aerith's concern. "Just here and there I suppose. It's become quite boring in the castle, hasn't it?"

(Without letting Aerith answer her question, she picks up a small bowl, embellished with pictures of black haired ninjas kicking or punching various black blobs, so busy that it often amazes even Yuffie that she could have fitted so much onto it and it still be legible. She walks out, seemingly oblivious to Aerith's calls of 'aren't you going to sit and eat dinner with us?' Instead of going to her room, she goes out, in search of Riku.)

(A dark room, in which we can't see anything but a towering Maleficent, her arm around Riku. They are looking into her crystal bowl. **(A/N odd concept, but couldn't think of a better way of describing it. You all know what I mean!) **Sora, Donald and Goofy are the object of the gaze of the odd couple. They seem to be walking purposefully, as if they need to be somewhere.

They run into Yuffie. As soon as she appears, Riku shrugs off Maleficent's arm, at which she looks really hurt, masks it and attempts to get close to him again. He is gazing at Yuffie, who, he knows, is looking for him. The four have a conversation, Riku noting with jealousy that Yuffie is very playful with Sora, and seems close to him.)

"I'm going to go and find something to eat or practise on" Riku says as he picks up his keyblade.

(He leaves. Maleficent looks hurt, but before she can say anything, he is gone. She turns and begins to watch the four people still talking. Suddenly the young girl perks her head up. They say a quick goodbye, the girl cleverly reminding the others that they need to be somewhere. She exits from Maleficent's view.)

(The next morning. The couple are moving through the waterway's many passages, neither of them lost.)

"oh, that'd be great, I bet Destiny Islands is amazing…" Yuffie trailed off dreamily, Riku thinking that he'd rather end this conversation for two reasons: one, talking about innocent old Destiny Islands which he knew was destroyed and was actually working against restoring was way too painful, and two, the Yuffie he had made fall into a deep infatuation with him was too love struck to be anything like the real, headstrong and witty girl who he often watched through Maleficent's looking portal, or spied on, whichever seems more fitting.

"Yuffie, I'm really glad that I… that we're friends." Yuffie looked at him, like a big, sickening, love struck puppy. "I doubt that any of your friends are as good to train with as you are," it really didn't matter what he said, Yuffie wasn't listening. "and I guess… I guess I'd be lonely without you…" Yuffie stopped walking, apparently deep in thought. Riku stopped too, having noticed her absence. She was staring at what would have been his back had he carried on walking.

The dreamy, glazed look had gone from her eyes. She looked bewildered for a moment before Riku reached out his tight black cloth-covered arm and let his gloved hand gently rest on her shoulder, trailing his gloved hand slowly down her arm. Usually this was enough to set the spell back in action, but something about the way she held his hand as it got to her slender wrist, pulling him, almost playfully into her own arms, before kissing him more gently than was customary for an entranced young woman made him think differently. The way she flinched, almost unnoticeably, as his hands slid across her body, was much different from the completely prepared girl she had been whilst under Riku's spell.

Of course when he first used the spell he hadn't anticipated that he would fall in love. Yes, Riku was in love. Not the kind of jealous crush he had had on Kairi, this was … an intense, 'can't-even-think-about-thinking-of-not-thinking-of-you-for-a-second' kind of feeling which hurt more than giving into the darkness, never mind the constant 'proving himself' that followed. This basically meant that he had to do the dirty work, which was usually dirty and hard combined. But anyway, it hurt. It was all too easy to have his way with her; she would do whatever he wanted, he just conveniently didn't think about the fact that if she wasn't under his twisted enchantment she'd reject him, and probably have a good whack at kicking his ass too.)

(The pair breaks apart momentarily, Yuffie looking up at Riku's face, recognition finally becoming apparent on her face.

A couple of seconds pass, and when recognition doesn't turn to disgust and then to rejection, Riku decides it's time to act. Lowering his head, and bringing his hand up to cup Yuffie's chin so that she can't pull away, he snakes his arm around her waist, her taking an obedient step forward so that he can kiss her. Willingly, she raises her chin and brushes her lips against his. She doesn't know why she is letting this boy, her enemy, do this, but she closes her eyes and tries to imagine him being someone else.

A guy she once saw on the street in Traverse Town flashes into her mind, he had just walked into the second district, innocently minding his own business, when a group of heartless attacked. Unarmed and taken by surprise, he had dropped his shopping and ran into the middle of the Second District, where more Heartless appeared. Yuffie, Cloud and Leon had come out of the Hotel, ready to kick some Heartless butt, and saved him. He was eternally grateful, bla bla bla, but they had to leave for Hollow Bastion the next day, so Yuffie never got a chance to see him again, even if it was just around in Traverse Town.

She carries on reminiscing, pretending it's someone else when she feels the buckle of her top become undone. She snaps away, holding the strap and looking like a wounded puppy. Suddenly sensing the depth which she has got herself into, she glances both ways, gathers her wits and sprints away, leaving Riku dumbstruck and calling after her.)

(Aerith is becoming increasingly worried about Yuffie. Her distractedness has become so apparent that even Cloud has started taking Aerith's motherly fears as legitimate.

Cid has been asking where she has been, even admitting to missing her bothering him in his workshop at one point. Even Leon shows his concerns about the young ninja when she knocks over her bowl at the dinner table, sending her favourite noodles flying over the room, narrowly avoiding smashing her small bowl which she loved so dearly. She merely looks blank, gets up and retrieves the dustpan and brush from the kitchen, bending down and sweeping them all away, picking up the now chipped bowl and dumping it in the sink.

Leon frowns. Yuffie walks out of the open-plan kitchen/dining room completely oblivious to the stares. Dinner carries on without interruption, Leon volunteering to do the washing up so that everyone else can go to bed. He saves Yuffie's bowl until last, washing it very gently and turning it over and over, looking at the drawings of her mother, father and her new family, the four of them. He turns it over and over slowly, as the thoughts rush over and over in his mind.

Coming to a decision, he takes the still wet bowl and walks calmly up to her room, peeks in and realises it is completely devoid of Yuffie.)

(Taking a walk through the different passageways and Halls, he ponders stowing the bowl in a pocket but decides it would probably get broken in a confrontation with the Heartless.

He sees a figure, doubled over at the end of a long passageway, huddled in a corner at a dead end. But it's not Yuffie. The young man, who reminds Leon so much of Sora, has his guard down and doesn't sense the nimble man crouch down behind him.

Jerking his head up, Riku sees a man whom he judges to be about ten or twelve years older than him, and brushes his wet bangs out of his eyes. He manages to sense that this man is as alarmed to see him as Riku is to see this man.)

"Are you okay?" The question falls out of Leon's mouth – he's not used to comforting crying teenagers and doesn't realise until it's too late how stupid it sounds.

Riku just looks at him incredulously and decides not to answer the question, tries not to speak at all but then he sees the bowl that the man is clutching.

"Is that… Yuffie?" He asks warily, pointing to a small blob of black 'hair', which was vaguely visible through Yuffie's awful drawing skills. Leon almost smiles.

"Yes" He breathes, looking at the young man's tearstained face and putting two and two together. "What… what has happened here?" There is a short pause, in which Riku ponders giving all away to this seemingly trustworthy man, but decides against it. Instead he shakes his head, in turn gaining a worried look from the older man.

(Leon stands up. He turns to leave, then thinks better of it. Riku believes for a second that this enigmatic older man is going to pressure the matter of himself and Yuffie, but he only bends at the knee, places the child's bowl on the floor and walks away.)

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OK so it's now chaptered. See you in the next chappie!

**A/N - checked through it today, made the paragraphs shorterer, Annjirika was right, even though I shortened them a likkle it wasn't really good enough. Sooo, hope it looks better, I also correcteda couple o' little tense mistakes and whatnot. This was in the vain hope that I could do a bit of writing, I feel kinda writy but I got no inspiration. It surcks. Anywho, hope you like it betterer now!**

Bracken xxx


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two.**

(She is gazing hopelessly out to Rising Falls, mesmerized by the soft echo of the water, at the rhythmic image before her. She wonders how her life got to be this complicated. She goes through all the things that have happened right up until this moment and comes to the realisation that earlier probably was not the first time her top had become magically undone… or worse…

Muttering to herself, she climbs back up to the castle and searches for Riku. It had become a habit for the young girl – bored, find Riku. Hungry, (increasingly less nowadays) find Riku. Feeling the need to train, find Riku.)

(Snapping back under his spell, she walks, straight-backed and blank-faced to a lone, run-down tower at the very corner of the old castle.

Upon arrival, he greets her with a hug, his guard up once more, his eyes steely and dry.

He had known she was coming and had made double sure that she could see no sign of 'weakness'.)

(The oddly matched pair begins to talk, about nothing special, eventually deciding to do some training. They let themselves into a room leading off of the dark bedroom which is more devoid of objects and begin duelling fiercely.

Riku doesn't seem to notice Yuffie snapping out of her Trance.

In fact, he's enjoying the challenge she's presenting today, usually she bothers too much - in his opinion - with defence, obviously trying to shy away from actually hurting him.

Today, she strikes true- mostly aiming her throwing stars at his heart.

'Not that he has one' she mumbles to herself darkly.)

(After training for over an hour, and as a result of neither of the teenagers having had breakfast that morning, the two decide to retire for a while and eat some lunch.)

(It is easy to walk around freely in Hollow Bastion; Sora is concentrating mostly on mediocre tasks, finding the Great Crest and other, more static activities. He is being held back a great deal by the Heartless, who are much stronger with the return of Ansem. Aerith and Cloud are mostly together, Cid can always be found in his shop or in the library with Leon, reading up on the Heartless. Needless to say, no one has ever found the two walking around, Riku sometimes trying to hold Yuffie's hand.

It is hard for Yuffie. She doesn't know what to say to her enemy-come-friend who she still doesn't like, and as she was under a spell before, has no recollection of what they used to talk about. Riku is content with silence, conversation not being a skill he developed as the 'cool' personality of his crowd. In fact, he's busy pondering why the spell has been acting up recently. He has a few theories but he can't be sure because it's not a spell which is often used, being so sick and dark.)

(Yuffie decides it's time to say something. She knows she should pretend to still be under his spell, but is too angry at him to be able to think of revenge. For a fleeting moment she thinks he might be embarrassed if she confronted him about it, but glancing at his black outfit and his 'cool' exterior, he'd probably laugh in her face and then knock her out.

She'd rather be unconscious than holding hands with this… creature that used an unwitting girl as his play-thing to amuse himself whilst there weren't any people to kill or wound. She'd heard about what he did to Sora.)

"So, inventing new levels of evil then…" She looks at his confused face, pleased at the effect. Facing him, she begins the tirade - shouting, gesticulating madly with her small hands, everything.

"Yuffie, I…" He tries to tell her but realises that he doesn't really deserve to justify himself. It wouldn't mean redemption anyway. The hurt on his face says volumes to Yuffie, who takes a step towards him, staring into his face.

Riku thinks she's about to start throwing punches and so takes a step backwards, looking for the quickest exit. Yuffie, sensing that he was about to run, and misunderstanding, gets defensive, thinking he is trying to run away from her forgiveness.

Quick as a chick her shuriken comes out and she readies herself for battle, grabbing his arm to infuriate him enough to provoke a reaction.

Unfortunately for her, he's too strong, and, wrenching his arm free of her grasp, runs as quickly as possible out of there.)

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Beeeep. No more for you tonight. I am all out of inspiration and fed up of pushing it all out. Humph.

Hope you enjoyed it, thanks for reading!

**Updaterated: went through, added something so it fit with the next chapter I've written. Hopefully it'll get better after this… hopefully…**

**Thanks for reading!**


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